Typewriting machine



May 24, 1927. 1,629,514

E. G. LATTA TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 18l 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 arm/Mtns@ 24 1927. May E. G. LATTA.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,629,514 E. G. LATTA TYPEWR'ITING MACHINE Filed March 18. 1920 4 Sheets-Shea?. 3

May 24, 1927.

May 24, 1927.-

' 1,629,514 E. G. LATTA v TYPEWRITIG MAH'INE 4 Sheets-Sheet` 4 Filed March 18. 1920 .Patented May 24, 1927.

EMMIT Gr.

LATTA, OF SYRAOUSE, NEW YORK;

` *1,629,514 PATENT OFFICE.

Frasr'rnus'r AND DEPOSIT COMPANY,

ADMINISTRATOR OF-SAID EMMIT G. LATTA, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, A, CORPORATION' QF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application le'd March 18, 1920. Serial No. 366,807.

This invention relates to the carriages of typewriting machines and particularly to improvements in the platen and its operating mechanism.

One object of the invention is to improve the carriage of typewriting machines by making its various attachments more compact without lessening their efficiency, to locate such parts'in desirable .positions Jfor use, and to make them so that they can be condensed, or reduced in dimensions for encasing the machine when traveling. The improvements are especially desirable for collapsible or portable typewriting machines, such, for instance, as that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 319,609, tiled August 25th, 1919 (now Patent No. 1,410,7 64, of March 2S, 1922), but the invention is not restricted to luse on portable typewriters, and can .be used on standard machines.

Other objects are to adapt a carriage with an ordinary rotary platen to take wider paper than others of no greater total length, and to do this with platen knobs operatively located at suitable distances tachable from the carriage without the use of tools; also to release the carriagev from its escapement when the machine is encased.

Other objects are to provide the platen with a telescoping shaft, and to make the platen detachable from the carriage by novel means without the use of tools. and whereby the platen may be removed either with the line space mechanism attached thereto or remaining on the carriage las may be desirable or necessary: and to improve the construction of typewritingmachine carriages and mechanisms in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. Y I

ln the accompanying drawings: f Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of a portable typewriting machine enibodying the invention.

from the ends' of the carriage; also to accomplish this re n to the side walls 14 of the main-frame.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the platen carriage removedvfrom the machine, and showing the parts in their loperative positions.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation yof the platen and line space mechanism andshowing the parts of the platen shaft in their collapsed orinoperative positions.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the platen detached from the carriage.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig.'4 but showing the parts of the platen shaft in operative position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the right hand end of thev carriage.

In this application the invention is shown and described in connection with a portable typewriting machine of the sort disclosed in my copending application above mentioned. In this machine all the operative parts are mounted on a hollow main frame A which forms the lower part of the enclosing case for the machine. The bottom 11 of this frame has front and rear portions extending at lan obtuse angle to each other to enable the frame to be supported either in an inclined or a horizontal position. B represents the upper or cover part of the enclosing case., The edges of the side lwalls 18 thereof are shaped to fit the bent upper and lower edges of raised panels 19 on the sides of the mainframe. When the cover is in the position shown in Fig. 1 all the o erative partsof the machine are dispose be-v tween two parallel planes indicated by the lines la-b and 0,-d. .The cover is adapted to be removed and placed in an inverted po.'- sition on a support, and the frame Aplaced on the cover with panels 19 resting on the edges o the sides 18 of the cover. The-cover then forms a base by whichthe machine is supported in an inclined operative position, and the planes a-b and'c-d will incline upwardly and rearwardly at the 4angle represented by the dotted line a-b in Fig. 7.

20 represents the usual carriage guide track, which, as shown, is secured at its eppls e carriage C as usual comprises a track b'ar 25- movable along the guide track 20 on balls.. 26, and end plates 27 and 28 rigidly 'the lower edges of the l secured to the opposite ends of the bar A25.

The end plates are provided with bearing seats for the shaft of the platen D. E, E represents the usual paper feed rolls, F is the carriage es capement wheel, G the rack bar and H the pinion meshing with the rack bar for controlling the letter space movements of the carriage. The end plates 27 and 28 of the carriage C are substantially alike, each having a laterally offset recessed part 29 and upright front and rearextensions 30 and 31 respectively, A scale bar 35 connects the two front extensions 30.

The end wall 36 of each recessed part is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending, open ended slot 37 andthe circular bottoms of these slots are enlarged to form bearing seats for the shaft 'of the platen D.- The bottom of the, recess 29 is concentric with these seats. 'A carriage release lever 40 pivotally mounted inside of the end plate 27 on the end wall of the recess 29 thereof, and an arm 4l similarly pivoted on the end plate 28, are secured at their rear ends to the rack bar G, so that the rack bar G lnay be lifted out of mesh with its pinion H to permit the carriage -C to b set back for starting a new line by depressingv the front end 42-of the release lever 40.

The platen D comprises the usual hollow cylindrical core 45 of wood or the like, an outer resilient covering 46, and end disks 47, .48 secured to the opposite ends of the core by screwsY 49 and mounted' on a platen shaft J.

The platen shaft see Figs. 4.-6, is telescopic, comprising a Amiddle tubular section 50 and opposite end sections 51, 52 formed by rods adapted to slide in `the tube 50 fromouter operative positions to inner inoperative positions. The tube 50 is provided near its opposite ends with longitudinal l slots 55, 56,' and cross pins 57 extending sections. finger wheels and of the end sections of the through the inner ends of the end sections 51, 52 and entering the' slots 55, 56, guide and limit the movements of the end sections in the tube. Finger wheels or knobs 58 and 59 are secured to the outer ends of the end The operative positions of these shaftJ are shown in Figs.23, and 6, also by dotted-lines in Fig. 4. In this position the linger wheels are located outwardly away from the end plates ofthe Vcarriage vwhere they can be conveniently grasped and operated. They are held in this position with: the pins 57 against the outer ends of the slots 55, 56 by a helical spring 60 in the tube 50 and engaging the inner ends of the end sections.

When it is desired to reduce the width of the machine the end sections 5 1, 52 of the platen shaft are pushed inwardly by means ofthe linger wheels to the Figs. 4 and '5. and there locked by turning the ingerwheels in opposite directions to cause positions shown, in

are pushed in to their inner positions the' wheel 58 will enter the recess of the carriage end plate 27 with its outer end Hush with the outer side of the end plate. The other finger wheel 59 is of a diameter large enough for its rim flange to surround the outwardly extending recessed portion 29 of the other end plate 28 when the wheel is shoved inwardly. Preferably the finger wheel 58 is screwed on' the shaft section 51 while the other finger wheel 59 is welded on its shaft section 52.

Means are providedy to permit the platen D to be readily removed from the carriage. In the preferred construction for this purpose the end sections 51, 52 of the platen shaft are flattened or notched on opposite sides as at 63, Figs. 4-7, so that if the end sections are pressed inwardly until these notches 63 register with the slots 37 in the carriage end plates and turned to aline the notches 63 with the slots, then the shaft can' be removed through Athe slots 37. In the Thel line spacing mechanism includes a ratchet'wheel 65 which is loosely journalled on the left hand end of the tube 50 of the platen slaft between the adjacent end disk 48 of the platen'and a screw Sleeve 67 which is screwed on the threaded outer` end Aof the tube 50. The ratchet Wheel can be turned independently of the platen, but is held in frictional connection therewith by-suitable means, such asa spring washer 66 between the ratchet wheel and platen end plate and having radial spring `arms 67a. The

sleeve 67 has an inturned outer end adapted to engage the extreme end of the tube l50 to prevent the ratchet wheel from being clamped too tightly. The ratchet Wheel 65 is therefore releasablyor frictionally held by the Washer-66 in such manner as to permit it to turn with or independently of the platen when so desired.

The ratchet Wheel 65 is provided with'an annular series of holes 70, and a lockingl 71, rigidly secured to the end section 52 of the platen shaft, isY adapted, when saidsection is moved to its outer operative osition, to enter one of the holes 70 and ock the ratchet wheel to the platen so that the rotaassembled as follows .has been brazed in and out of is rigid with a sleeve 72 which is adapted to slide on the tube 50 and is secured to the inner end of the end section 52 by the cross pin 57 A hole 7 3 in the end disk48 of the platen permits the passage of thelocking in therethrough' for engagement with the ratchet wheel. Any other suitable construction may be used to provide a. releasabl'e connecti'on between the platen shaft J and the ratchet wheel 65.

The platen D and platen .shaft J may be The end disk 48 is first brazed or otherwise rig-idly secured to the tube 50 of the platen shaft and the spring washer 66, ratchet wheel 65 and sleeve 67 are slipped on the end section 52, and this section, to the outer end of which the finger wheel 59 or otherwise rigidly secured, is now inserted into the tube `50 and the sleeve 72 is slipped over the opposite end of the tube 50 and secured to the inner end of the end section 52 by the cross pin 57. The coil spring 60 is next inserted and the opposite end section 51 of the shaft inserted and secured by the other pin 57. The sleeve '67, ratchet wheel 65 and spring washer 66 are now moved outwardly a ainst the finger wheel 59 to permit the en disk 48 to be secured by screws to the platen core. The opposite en d ydisk 47 is then secured on the adjacent end of the-tube 50 p eferably by screwing it on a thread o'the ltube, and it is then fastened to the platen core by screws.

The linger wheel 58 is simply screwed hard onto the threaded end of the shaft section K represents a line space lever, which preferably has a forwardly projecting arm provided at its front end with a handle portion 80, and having a forked rear end 81 that straddles. the platen shaft and is pivoted to a bracket L by screws 82, 83 arranged above and below the platenl shaft in the vertical plane thereof, so that the lever K can swing substantially horizontally. The bracket L is preferably formed as a single piece die casting and is 'disposed in the recess 29 of the carriage end plate 28 and forms a support for the various parts of the line space mechanism. It is provided with an open ended slot 85, similar to the slots 37 of the carriage end plates,

which receives the end section 52 of the platen shaft and permits the shaft to pass plates.

The upper edges of the 'carriage end plates 27, 28 ar'e concentric with tlre axis of the platen shaft and the bracket L` has a lip 86 which overhangs as shown in Fig. 83 for the lever operative position its bearing seats in ythe end and engages said con-,- centric upper edge of the adjacent end plate 6.' The lower pivot screw-f K is formed with a iia'it,

into a transverse slot 88 in the curved bottom of the part 29 of the carriage end plate 28 (see Fig. 6). This construction permits the bracket L to be rocked relative to the platen shaft and retains itin its proper location when the platen is removed. The bracket L can be turned to place its slot in register with the slots 37 which will allow the bracket to remain on the carriage when removing the platen D, the platen shaft passing out through said slots. If desired the bracket L and the line space mechanism carried thereby may be removed with the platen. Y

R represents the paper table which, as usual, extends upwardly and rearwardly behind the platen. This table is rigidly secure-d to a shaft 120 journalled at its opposite ends in the rear portions 31 of the carriage end plates 27, 28. A downwardly and forwardly projectingv finger 121, fixed to the left hand end of this shaft, normally engages a rearwardly projecting'lug 122 on the bracket L, and holds the bracket and the line space mechanism mounted thereon in operative position. Fig. 3, at the opposite end of the shaft `12() -holds the shaft and table in the normal struction and operation has not been described in detail as it forms the subject-,Imat-A ter of a separate application for patent.

When the parts of the machine are in the free ends of the line space lever K, adjusting device P andcarriage release lever 40 all project above the line a-b and the upper edge of the paper table R projects rearwardly beyond the line -#d as shown in Fig. 7. YVhen the rear part of the machine is lowered preparatory to encasing it for transportation, the lines a-b and c-d become horizontal with the line space lever, adjusting device, carriage release lever and paper table R in the positions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To condense and encase the machine, the end sections y51, 52 of the platen shaft J are pushed inwardly and there locked. by turning the linger wheels as described. The inneredge of the left hand finger wheel at this time engages and moves the line space,

.lever K inwardly` so that its-front end will not extend sideways 'beyond the vertical lane of the outer face of the finger wheel andthe total'lengthof the carriage is thereb v reduced to thev width of the keyboard. The carriage is now moved to bring its centeropposi'te the printing point and the cover part B of the' enclosing casing is placed over the vupper part o f the machine and moved forwardly. This pushes the upper edge o A coil spring 123,

carriage, its con- -llO the paper table forwardly, rocking the shaft 120 and swinging the finger 121 out of contact with the lug 122 of the bracket L, which leaves the bracket free to rock on the platen shaft. The cover B is now pressed downwardly and engages the front end of the line space lever, swinging it downwardly and rocking the bracket L and parts carried thereby in the same direction. In this i0 movement the cover also engages the front end of the carriage release lever 40 and depresses it, thereby lifting the rack bar G out of engagement with its feed pinion H.

When the cover has been completely lowered into place on the main frame A, the above mentioned parts will occupy the positions shown in Fig. l. The disengagement of the rack bar from the feed pinion prevents injury to the carriage escapement mechanism when transporting the machine.

To restore the machine to operative position the cover is removed,` when the rack bar will be automatically re-engaged with the feed pinion by a coil spring 102. The i front end of the line space lever is then lifted which will restore the line spacemechanism to operative position. The paper table will then be returned to its proper position by its spring, and the finger 121 will engage the lug 122 on the bracket L and hold the line space mechanism in position.

By arranging the various parts and economizing space at the ends of the carriage as described, paper nine and one fourth inches Wide can be used in a machine that can be enclosed ina case of no greater Width than the keyboards of standard typewriters. Since the ,act of applying the cover to theI machine causes the various shiftable parts mentioned to assume the positions shown in Fig. 1, there can be no danger of injury to any part by neglecting to shift it before applying the cover.

4i While, in the construction described, the

carriagev is mounted on a stationary frame and intended for use with a case shifting segment, manifestly the .carriage could be mounted on a case shifting frame. I claim as my invention: 1. In a typewriting'YI machine, a rotary platen provided with a journal which is movable longitudinallyftoward and from the end of the platen, and a carriage having (an end part provided with a bearing for the journal and with a slot opening out of theI bearing through which the journal can pass sidewise into and out of the. bearing when the journal is adjusted .longitudinally to 'a predetermined abnormal position, relatively to said platen.

2. InJ a typewriting machine, a rotary platen provided,."with a journal which is gmovable longitudinally toward and from the "of the platen, a carriage having-an end part provided with a slotted bearing for the longitudinally movable journal which permits the journal to enter sidewise the bearing in one position of the journal relatively to said platen, said bearing and journal being 7o shaped to permit the journal to move longitudinally in the bearing to the operative position and to prevent the removal of the journal when in said position, and means acting automatically to normally hold said journal in said operative position.

3. In a typewritincr machine, a rotatable platen, a platen shaft having jou nal portions at the ends of the platen movable inwardly relatively to the platen for reducing so the Width of the machine, a carriage having end bearings in which said journals are v adapted to rotate and slide longitudinally toward and from the ends of the platen, said bearings having side openings through which S5 said journals can pass sidewise into and out of the bearings only when said journals are adjusted longitudinally to predetermined abnormal positions, and means for normally retaining said journals in positions in .which they cannot beremoved from theL bearings.

4. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a carriage having lan end part provided with a bearing seat for the platen shaft, a connecting slot of smaller diameter than the bearing seat, and a shaft movable longitudinally -relatively to said platen and having a lat part normally out of line with said slot and adapted to pass through the slot laterally when the shaft is adjusted longitudinally relatively to said platen to locate thel fiat part thereof opposite' the slot and parallel therewith.

5. In a typewriting machine, a platenprovided with a tubular platen Shaft having a helical spring therein, and a telescopic eX- tension of the shaft normally held in extended position by the spring.

6. In a typewriting machine, a platen and shaft, a carriage having an end provided with 1.10 ano1fset central part supporting one end of the platen shaft, said shaft having a slidin section, a platen knob mounted on said lsli ing section to move longitudinally relatively to said platen, means for holding the slidl ing section in either of twolpositions, and

means normally tending to h d the sliding section in one ofsaid positions.

7. In a typewriting machine, a platenandK shaft, a carriage having an end provided With an offset central part forming a bearing for one end ofthe platen shaft, said shaft having a sliding section, a platen knob `mounted on said sliding sectionand movable into and' out of the offset end of the carriage, and means for locking Vthe knob Within the oiset part of the carriageend.

' 8. In a typewritinv| machine, a: rotary platen, a laterally adjustable platenknob, means for holding said knob against indeshaft, a carriage having an end plate pro` Ivided with' an ofsct'bearing portion for the.

platen shaft, and la platen., knob constructed to inclose the'ofl'set portion of the end plate. 10. In/ typewriti'ng machine, a platen and shaft, and a carriage having end plates with offset portions forming bearing fol.' the platen shaft,- both of said offset portions facing the same way.

i 11. In a` typewri platen having a shaft comprising a tubular central part', and telescopic end sections,and means forlocking the end-sections within the centrald part operated by turning the b` end sections in opposite directions.

12. Ina typewriting machine, the combination of-,a platen having end" journals, a

carriage'having end parts provided with laterally ofset portions forming bearingv 5 supports for said journals, and linger wheels at opposite ends of the platen which arev shiftable from operative outer positions be-A yond said bearin supports to inner posi- /tions in which tlge inger wheels and said D oset bearing supports nest one within the other. 4

13. In a' typewriting machine, the .combination of a platen having end journals, a carriage having endl-parts providedV with l laterally offset portions forming bearing supports for saidjournals, and finger wheels at opposite ends of the platen which are shiftable inwardly vtoward the platen for reducing the width of the machine, one of l said finger wheels being adapted to nest into the adjacent oilset portion and the other offset portion being adapted to nest into--the adjacent finger wheel.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combi- 5 nation of a platenhaving end journals, a carria e having end parts provided with latera y offset portions forming bearing supports for said journals, and finger wheels at opposite ends of the D shiftable inwardl towar the. platen -for reducing the widt of the machine, tli'e {inger wheel and oiset bearing support at each'end of the platen being constructed to Inest one within the other. 5 15. In combination, a typewriting `iriachine having a carriage, a carriage escapement, a device for releasingthe carriage from the escapement, and a movable protect- 'f ing covei` for the machine, saidrelease del0 vice and cover being arranged so that when.

the cover is moved vizo-protecting position it will move said release device to release the 'v 9 0 -.12 16. n" combination, a 'typewriting ma- Y carria e. r

ting machine, a\r 0taryA laten which are v chine having a carriage, a carriage -escapement, a forwardly projecting release lever for releasing the carriage from the escapement, and a movable protecting cover `for the machine, said release lever and'cover being arranged so that when the cover is moved to protecting position it will move said releaselever to release the carriage.

17.111 combination, a typewriting/ ma-.

chine having a carriage, a carriage escapement includingA a toothed rack, a release device for moving .said rack to release the car-y riage, and a movable protectingv cover'for the machine, said release device-and cover being arranged so that when the cover is moved to protecting positionit will ,actuate said release device and move said rack to release thev carriage. j 18. In combination, atypewriting machine having a carriage, a carriage escape-v ment, and means for both releasing the carriage from its escapement and restraining the released carriage from traveling movement, said releasing andl restraining'means includin a machine-cover, which is e'ective for oth purposes when it is moved to protecting position.

19.In -combination, a typewriting machine having a carriage, a carriage escapement, a forwardly `projecting release lever for releasing the carriage from the escapement, and a movable protecting cover for j the machine, said release lever and cover being arranged so that when the cover is moved -to protecting position it will move said release lever to release the carriage, but be held against traveling movement.

20. In combination, a typewriting machine having a carriage a carriage escapement including a toothe rack, a release device or moving said rack to release the carriage, vand a--movable protectingv cover for the machine, Said release device and cover being arranged so that when the c'over is moved to protecting position it will actuate said release ldevice and move saidrack to release the carriage, but be held against traveling movement. y

21. In combination, a typewriting inachine having a carriage, a carriage escapement including a toothed rack, a release device for relatively moving the carriage and said rack to release the engagement between the `carriage and said rack, and a movable protecting cover for the machine, said release device and cover bein arranged so that when the cover is move to protecting position it will actuate said release device andrelease said engagement between the carria e and said racl; torelease the car-v ri'a e om said engagement.

itness my hand this 15th day of March,

amarre. Larra. 

